Snowfall: A Christmas short
by Natimus Prime
Summary: Wrote this oneshot scene a few years ago for Christmas Day, as a post to a forum I frequent. Set after the End of Evangelion, it was meant as a side story to a project that never got off the ground. Just a little warm fuzzy feeling for you all.


Snowfall, a Christmas Eva short

By: DarkNate, of Fizzy Pop. Inc.

"It's been a few months since Instrumentality. Things are starting to go back to normal around the world, especially since most people have no memory of what happened on that awful day. Just us two…"

Shinji sighed as he looked out the window of his room. The only good that seemed to have come from that horrible nightmare was that the Earth's axial tilt had become more normal, ensuring normal seasons in the years to come. Asuka had gone back home to Germany to visit her father and stepmother, and Shinji was feeling lonely. Despite Misato's zeal (and bizarre decorations) he just wasn't feeling like it was Christmas.

"Then again, I can't remember a normal Christmas. I guess I've never felt the 'joy of the season.'" He sighed again, more deeply, and wandered back to the kitchen to check on the food. Misato insisted on a nice dinner, and he wasn't going to let her mess it up by cooking. The last time he had eaten her food… He shuddered in remembered pain.

Pen-Pen looked up at him as he walked past, and he gave the little penguin a scratch on the head. "You look ready for the holidays, Pen-Pen!" Somehow, the bird had gotten hold of some bells and tied them to his flippers, making him jingle when he moved. A Santa hat lay on the floor, and Pen-Pen waddled over and put it on.

"Waugh! Waugh waugh waaaaugh," he chattered, as though asking for comments.

"It looks good on you, buddy," Shinji replied with a smile. "Now, if only we could get Misato out of her costume…"

The front door hissed open, and Mistao's voice rang out in a singsong voice, "Shiiiiiinnnnnjiiiiiiiii!"

"Speak of the devil!" Shinji grumbled. Misato slid into the kitchen, revealing what Shinji had meant by 'costume.'

Misato was dressed in an even skimpier outfit than she usually wore as pajamas, if that were humanly possible. A short red skirt trimmed with white fur and a halter top in the same style covered less than 25 of her body, and the Santa hat cocked back on her head made her look like some sort of corner slut on a holiday kick.

On the other hand, she DID look damn good in it…

Shinji shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Can you change into something else?" he whined. "It's freezing outside, and you're making ME cold."

Misato pouted cutely. "Aww, I know how to warm you up!" she said in a sultry voice. Shinji just glared at her. "Humph! You're no fun…" She strode off to her room. "I'll put on something warmer."

Shinji went back to the stove, only to find the potatoes boiling over. "GAH!" he scrambled to get them off the burner and clean up the mess.

Two hours of work later, and a true feast lay on the dinner table. A traditional Western Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings, and a plate of Pen-Pen's favorite: red snapper. Misato looked over the spread, nodding. "Excellent work, Shinji. Now, we just need our guests."

Shinji was a bit surprised. "Guests?" He knew Misato had asked for a lot of food for two people, but he had figured on leftovers for a week, so she wouldn't have to cook. That they were having 'guests' was news to him.

"Yeah, Maya and Ritsuko are going to have dinner with us. Ritsu got out of the hospital last week, and she's been feeling kinda down. I think her gunshot wound was more than just a physical blow." Both of them remembered: Gendo had shot her in fury when he found out she had destroyed the Room of Gauf. She had been a long time recovering.

"Well, I'm glad she's better. I'll get some extra cushions." Shinji scrambled away, hearing the doorbell go off. When he returned, he saw Ritsuko and Maya standing with Misato, whispering. He was too far away to hear, so he put down his load and went to check on the table. The three ladies walked in a few minutes later.

"If I may, could I say a blessing before we start?" Shinji asked. "Seeing as it's Christmas and all."

"That would be lovely, Shinji" Ritsuko said in a quiet voice. He was a bit surprised to hear how soft it was, like she couldn't speak any louder. Dismissing it, he bowed his head.

"Kami-sama, we ask that you grant your blessing on this food, and on these people. We've been through a lot in this past year, and all of us have suffered wounds, both physical and emotional. We ask that you watch over our loved ones and friends who are elsewhere, and grant peace to those who are no longer with us." He raised his head, a tear running down his cheek as he thought of all those who had died in that final assault on NERV. Maya was the only surviving member from the bridge crew, she'd been inside the Magi when the bomb went off. Commander Fuyustki was awaiting his sentence in Switzerland, where a United Nations tribunal was trying him for high crimes against humanity. Gendo still had not been found, dead or alive, and never would be. Shinji had seen to that. The man had been evil, and manipulative, but he had his reasons.

The four humans and one penguin settled in to the business of eating. When everyone had finished, Shinji took away the dishes and started packing away the leftovers. Misato joined him in the kitchen. "We're going to have some eggnog, want some?" Shinji's sleepy mind didn't register that Misato's 'eggnog' was really mostly liquor, so he went along with it. Taking a long drag from his glass, he sighed as the alcohol made his brain nice and fuzzy.

The ladies kept looking at the clocks, whispering to each other when Shinji was looking elsewhere. Then, he heard the door hiss open. Misato wasn't in the room, so he figured she had just stepped out. Feeling rather warm, he stepped out onto the porch.

The sky was cloudy, and the night was cold, like winters were supposed to be, he assumed. The temperature had been hovering around freezing for the last week, something of a record for Tokyo-3. He stared out at the lights of the houses around the town, when he felt something warm and soft press up against his back. Shinji caught a glimpse of red hair in the corner of his eye.

"Merry Christmas, Shin-kun," a familiar voice whispered.

He spun around, grinning. There was Asuka, cheeks rosy from the cold, with her blue eyes shinning and a smile on her face. She had a sweater and jeans on, but in Shinji's eyes, right then, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"A-Asuka?" he asked, not quite comprehending.

"I… wanted to be home for Christmas. But, when I got back to Germany, I realized something." She spread her arms. "THIS is my home." She took a step toward Shinji, and embraced him. "And this is where I belong."

Shinji tentatively hugged her back, and smiled as she looked up into his eyes. "I'm glad you're home, Asuka. I'm glad." Then, he looked up to see a pole with something dangling on the end floating above their heads, coming from around the corner of the wall where he couldn't see. He suspected Misato, but he didn't care.

"Look up," he whispered.

Asuka blushed when she saw the mistletoe hanging above them. "You DO know what it means when two people stand under the mistletoe, right?"

Shinji nodded.

Asuka nodded in reply.

Their lips met…

And a burst of giggling rang out from the apartment. Asuka growled, but Shinji held her close. "Ignore her, she's just having fun."

"Oh, all right. But, Shinji?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's try that again."

Shinji smiled, and did as he was told.

When they broke apart, they saw Misato, Ritsuko, Maya, and Pen-Pen watching them from behind the curtains, the three women giggling like little children. Shinji sighed. "Stop goofing around and act your age!" he scolded. They all walked out onto the balcony, as Shinji and Asuka held each other and looked out over the lights. It was a beautiful, happy scene.

"You know, the only thing we need to make this perfect is…" Asuka trailed off, looking up in wonder. The adults all stared skyward as well, struck dumb by what they saw. Little white flakes were falling down, all over town as far as the eye could see. For the first time in fifteen years, and the first time since the city had been built.

Snow was falling on Tokyo-3.

Shinji smiled as he hugged Asuka tighter. "What say we see if Misato has another one of her 'Santa' outfits in your size?" he whispered jokingly.

"What are you talking about?" Asuka laughed. "What outfit?"

Misato grinned. "Come on, I'll show you."

Ritsuko and Maya looked at each other, and nodded. "We have to go, Shinji. Thanks for having us over," Maya said. Then, taking Ritsuko's hand, she led the way out of the apartment.

The door hissed shut just as Misato and Asuka stepped out of the bedroom. Shinji's jaw dropped.

Misato really DID have one in Asuka's size!

EOF

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!


End file.
